For a kitbashing project I'm working on, I'm probably going to need to mill the frame of the "donor" mechanism to fit the kitbashed shell. Does anyone have any recommendations, tips, etc, about how to go about doing this? Internet searches haven't yielded much fruit, suprisingly.  If it helps, the mechanism in question is an N-scale Life-Like E8, which I believe is made out of the same zinc alloy that most manufacturers seem to use.

Thanks,
Timothy

Once upon a time, so long ago I can't even remember how long ago it was, I signed up for Bachmann's e-mail newsletter. So, today, I just got two emails from Bachmann- about their announcements at the NMRA convention two months ago . Has anyone else gotten this?

Timothy

Does anyone know if the E6, E7, E8, and E9 are all the same length? I've searched the internet, and everything I've found seems to imply that they are; however, I've seen nothing that actually states that, which makes me unsure.

Thanks,
Timothy

Since Bachmann seems to be at a loss for what rolling stock to produce in N-scale, what about some Amfleet II's? Amfleet II's have never been done in N before, and probably never will in the near future, since Walthers seems totaly uninterested in N, and Kato is unlikely to produce anything that runs east of the Missisippi. Another plus for Bachmann is that tooling Amfleet II's would cost less than tooling an entirely new model, since Bachmann could reuse the underframe and trucks from the Amfleet I's. This is a great operatunity for Bachmann (and N-scale overall) to get a whole new model for less than the cost of tooling one from the underframe up.

Timothy

While searching through Walthers today, I noticed that the F40PH and the E33 in Virginian and New Haven, are being discontinued. Is Walthers correct?

Thanks,
Timothy

Mr. Bach-man,

Is there any chance we will ever see another run of the E60CF's? You already have the tooling, and most of the detail parts could be re-used from the E60CP's, as well as the trucks and motor. The frame would be the only thing that would have to be made new. It would be a fraction of the cost of making an all-new model. Plus, your version is was much more accurate than the American GK version, which was based on an order that was never built, and has some obvious differences. Just my two cents...

For a kitbash project I'm planning, I'm going to use an Alco S-1/2/3/4 frame and drive. My question is: which one runs better, the Proto or the Atlas? The shell doesn't matter to me, since I'll be using an Athearn SW1000 shell. Also, is either of them easy to convert to EMD's Blomberg trucks?  Thanks for any info.

Okay, it's a bit early, but how about we share our train-related resolutions for 2008? Mine are:

Finish both of my E60's
Repaint my E33
Find an Atlas AEM-7
Get started on that SW1200MG kitbash I've been contemplating for months now
Try to have a roster with more active locomotives than canabalized ones

I'm contemplating doing a kitbash, and I wanted to know if anyone knew the answer to the following question: Can the fuel tank be removed for any of these models? I am considering to kitbasing an SW1200MG, which had no fuel tank, so I would need to remove it (among other modifications). Thanks in advance for any info.
If it will help, this is an SW1200MG

Now that Bachmann has the Acela, HHP-8, E-33, and now the E-60, itsn't time Bachmann have a seperate category for the electrics? After all, "Motive Power" has 19 pages, which is discouraging to someone who just wants to browse through what Bachmann has to offer. Steam has it's own category, why shouldn't electrics? Just a suggestion, Mr. Bach-man.

First of all, I am delighted that Bachmann has spared me the labor of hunting down an 80's production model at a train show and then finding a suitable locomotive to repower it with(the E60 model had an unreliable pancake motor). Now of course come the ineveitable questions:

HO AMTRAK E60CP LOCOMOTIVE â€" DCC EQUIPPED, FLYWHEEL, 8-Wheel Drive, E-Z Mate® Couplers                       
   65502   4      AMTRAK PHASE II #971   SEPT   6   100.00   
   65503   1      AMTRAK PHASE III #974   SEPT   6   100.00   

1. The despription said "8-wheel drive". The E60 had 12 wheels, not eight! Was this just a typo?

2. Is Bachmann reusing the mold from the 80's production? In other words, will this attempt have more detail?

3. As for the phase III...as Amtrak rebuilt the E60CP's into E60MA's, they were given the phase III paint scheme, and renumbered into the 600 series. Yet why is Bachmann's numbered #974? It should be #600. On the same note, the E60MA's had several cosmetic changes done to them during the rebuilding, such as the moving of the numberboards. Was this done on the Bachmann model?

4. Why is there no New Jersey Transit version? Bachmann does the F40PH in NJ Transit, so licensing shouldn't be an issue.

5. Will the pantographs be metal or plastic?

6. When will we be able to see pictures?

Thank you for making this model!!!